MLB roundup: Yankees rout Royals, lose Judge (wrist)

Didi Gregorius hit a three-run homer in the fourth inning, but the New York Yankees lost Aaron Judge to a wrist injury in a 7-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

Jul 26, 2018; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius (18) watches his 3-run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

Gregorius helped the Yankees win on a night when they lost Judge in the fourth inning after he was hit by a pitch in the first inning. Judge is expected to miss at least three weeks, as the team announced he sustained a chip fracture of his ulnar styloid bone. No surgery was recommended.

Judge’s injury spoiled a day when the Yankees acquired J.A. Happ from the Toronto Blue Jays for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney and activated Zach Britton after acquiring him from the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.

Britton made his debut for the Yankees and threw 10 pitches in a perfect eighth inning.

Twins closer Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 22nd save of the season, though not without some drama.

Boston’s Xander Bogaerts led off the bottom of the ninth with a line-drive single to center and advanced to second on Steve Pearce’s groundout. Rodney got Rafael Devers to foul out before Blake Swihart and Brock Holt walked to load the bases. Rodney fell behind in the count 3-0 to Jackie Bradley Jr. before striking him out to end it.

Cubs 7, Diamondbacks 6

David Bote tied the game with a one-out, two-run home run in the ninth inning against Arizona closer Brad Boxberger, and Anthony Rizzo followed with a walk-off blast as host Chicago rallied for three runs to record a dramatic win.

Nick Ahmed belted his first career grand slam in the fifth inning to give the Diamondbacks a 6-1 lead, but the Cubs did the rest of the scoring to earn a split in the four-game series.

Ben Zobrist opened the last of the ninth with a walk. Boxberger (1-4) then got Javier Baez to line out before Bote hit an 0-2 pitch over the fence in center field to tie the game. Bote was recalled from Triple-A Iowa before the game when the Cubs placed third baseman Kris Bryant on the disabled list due to left shoulder inflammation.

Dodgers shortstop Manny Machado, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles during the All-Star break, hit his first home run with his new team in the win.

Hill (4-4) allowed only three hits and one walk while striking out eight in winning his second straight decision. The left-hander improved to 5-0 with a 1.73 ERA in nine career games, seven starts, against the Braves.

Phillies 9, Reds 4

Rhys Hoskins, Maikel Franco and Nick Williams each homered twice, leading Philadelphia to a rout at Cincinnati.

Carlos Santana also homered for the Phillies, who hit a season-high seven long balls in the game, tying a franchise record set against the New York Mets on Sept. 8, 1998.

Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez (1-0) won his major league debut, tossing five innings and giving up four runs on six hits. The 22-year-old Venezuelan walked one and struck out three.

Nationals 10, Marlins 3

Trea Turner, who was benched earlier this week for not running out a bunt, homered to left in the fourth and hit a tiebreaking, two-run triple to right in the seventh, leading Washington past host Miami.

Turner finished 3-for-6 with three RBIs, falling a double short of the cycle.

Nationals starter Tommy Milone, replacing Stephen Strasburg, who was placed on the disabled list before the game with a pinched nerve in his neck, earned a no-decision, allowing eight hits, no walks and three runs in five innings while striking out six.

Mets 12, Pirates 6

Asdrubal Cabrera went 3-for-5 with a home run and drove in four runs as visiting New York walloped Pittsburgh.

Wilmer Flores also homered, had three RBIs and scored twice for the Mets, who won their third straight.

David Freese and Josh Harrison homered for the Pirates, who lost for the second day in a row following an 11-game winning streak.

Athletics 7, Rangers 6

Matt Chapman had a home run and two triples, and the Oakland bullpen allowed just one run over four innings to finish off a four-game sweep at Texas.

The red-hot A’s tied a season high with their sixth consecutive victory. Oakland is 27-7 dating back to June 16, the best record in the major leagues over that span.

The A’s had four triples in a game for the first time in franchise history. Dustin Fowler and Nick Martini delivered back-to-back RBI triples in a three-run fourth inning that gave Oakland the lead for good.

Rays 4, Orioles 3

Adeiny Hechavarria lined a tiebreaking single in a two-run seventh inning as Tampa Bay won at Baltimore.

Alex Cobb (2-14) started for the Orioles, and his problems continued. Cobb gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in six-plus innings and dropped his seventh straight decision and his fifth consecutive start. He is 0-3 this season versus his former team.

The Rays went with the pitching-by-committee approach once again. Hunter Wood began the game with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Yarbrough (9-5) went the next 4 1/3 frames and earned the win in a long-relief role.

Angels 12, White Sox 8

Catcher Francisco Arcia, making his major league debut after 12 seasons in the minors, hit a home run and drove in four runs as Los Angeles defeated visiting Chicago.

Arcia, 28, was recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Salt Lake after the Angels traded catcher Martin Maldonado to Houston. His three-run homer in the seventh inning gave Los Angeles a 9-5 lead after the White Sox had pulled within a run.

Arcia added a run-scoring single in a three-run eighth after doubles by Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Ian Kinsler. Upton went 4-for-5 with two RBIs.